DAVID SPOILS THE AMALEKITES. [1095-975 B.C.

LESSON 53.

1 SAMUEL Xxix-xxxi.

David spoils the Amalekites. Death of Saul and his Sons.

The army of the Philistines assembled at Aphek, while the Israelites pitched by a fountain in Jezreel. And the lords of the Philistines passed on by hundreds and by thousands, but David and his men marched in the rereward with Achish. When the lords of the Philistines saw David and his men, they were displeased with Achish, and they said unto him, "Make this fellow return that he may go again to his place which thou hast appointed him, and let him not go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he be an adversary to us." Then Achish commended David, but told him that the lords favoured him not. David and his men departed early in the morning to Ziklag, and the army of the Philistines went up to Jezreel. When David came to Ziklag, he found that the Amalekites had plundered and burned the city. He first inquired of the Lord, and then pursued them with his sixhundred men. Two-hundred of them became faint at the brook Besor, and abode there. An Egyptian, who had been a servant to an Amalekite, brought David and his men to the camp. David smote them all, save four-hundred young men who escaped on camels; he also recovered the women and children, and all the spoil of Ziklag. And when they came to the two-hundred men who stayed from faintness at the brook Besor, some among the four-hundred refused to share the spoil with them; but David said it should not be so, but all should partake alike. And David sent presents of the spoil taken from the Amalekites to his friends in the land of Israel.

The Philistines fought against Israel at Gilboa; the Israelites fled, and many were slain at the Mount of Gilboa. Among the slain were Jonathan, Abinadab, and Melchi-shua, Saul's sons, and

PERIOD V.] DEATH AND BURIAL OF SAUL AND HIS SONS.

Saul was sorely wounded. Saul wanted his armour-bearer to thrust his sword through his body, but he was sore afraid and would not. Saul then took a sword, and fell upon it. His armourbearer also fell upon his sword, and died with Saul.

And when the men of Israel that were on the other side of the valley, and they that were on the other side Jordan, saw that the men of Israel fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook the cities, and fled; and the Philistines came and dwelt in them. And on the morrow, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, they found the bodies of Saul and his three sons on Mount Gilboa. And they cut off his head, and stripped off his armour, and sent into the land of the Philistines round about, to publish it in the house of their idols, and among the people. And they put his armour in the house of Ashtaroth, and they fastened his body to the wall of Bethshan.

When the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard of that which the Philistines had done to Saul, all the valiant men arose, and went all night, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Bethshan, and came to Jabesh, and burned them there. And they took their bones, and buried them under a tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days.

Aphek-the place at which the Philistines encamped in the valley of Jez

reel.

Besor a brook which falls into the Mediterranean sea south of Gaza. Bethshan-house of rest;' a city in western Manasseh, not far from the Jordan, also called Scythopolis.

LESSON 54.

2 SAMUEL i-ii. 7.

David's Lament. He is anointed King.

Two days after David had recovered the spoil of Ziklag, a man came to him out of the camp of Saul and informed him of Saul's death, and of that of Jonathan. As David questioned him, he

DAVID'S LAMENT FOR SAUL AND JONATHAN. [1095-975 B.C.

acknowledged that, at Saul's desire, he had slain him after he had fallen; and he brought Saul's crown and bracelet to David. Then David mourned and wept, and fasted till even. David again questioned the young man, and said, "How, wast thou not afraid to stretch forth thine hand to destroy the LORD's anointed?" And he told one of his young men to fall on him, and slay him. The man was an Amalekite.

David then lamented greatly for Saul and Jonathan, saying, "The beauty of Israel is slain upon thy high places: how are the mighty fallen! Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Askelon; lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph. Ye mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew, neither let there be rain, upon you, nor fields of offerings; for there the shield of the mighty is vilely cast away, the shield of Saul, as though he had not been anointed with oil. . . . . Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives, and in their death they were not divided." He said of Jonathan, "How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! 0 Jonathan, thou wast slain in thine high places. I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan; very pleasant hast thou been unto me: thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women. How are the mighty fallen !"

any of

David inquired of the Lord, saying, "Shall I go up into the cities of Judah ?" And the Lord said unto him, "Go up." And David said, "Whither shall I go up?" And he said, "Unto Hebron." So David went up thither, and his men that were with him, every man with his household: and they dwelt in the cities of Hebron. And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David that the men of Jabesh-gilead were they that buried Saul. And David sent messengers unto the men of Jabesh-gilead, and said unto them, "Blessed be ye of the LORD, that ye have showed this kindness unto your lord, even unto Saul, and have buried him.

PERIOD V.] ABNER PROCLAIMS ISHBOSHETH KING.

And now the LORD show kindness and truth unto you; and I also will requite you this kindness, because ye have done this thing. Therefore now let your hands be strengthened, and be ye valiant: for your master Saul is dead, and also the house of Judah have anointed me king over them."

Gath and Askelon-two of the most famed cities of the Philistines; Gath is frequently mentioned in the wars of the Israelites against the Philistines; Askelon was a maritime city, on the shores of the Mediterranean.

LESSON 55.

2 SAMUEL ii. 8-iv.

Ishbosheth proclaimed King. Death of Abner and of

Ishbosheth.

Abner, the captain of Saul's host, took Ishbosheth, the remaining son of Saul, and brought him to Mahanaim in Gilead; and there proclaimed him king over Gilead, and over all Israel; but the house of Judah followed David. Soon after, the servants of Ishbosheth and the servants of David met together at the pool of Gibeon. Twelve of each party arose to fight at Abner's desire; and they caught every one his fellow by the head, and thrust his sword in his fellow's side; so they fell down together: wherefore that place was called Helkath-hazzurim. And there was a very sore battle that day: and Abner and the men of Israel were beaten before the servants of David. Three sons of Zeruiah were there -Joab, Abishai, and Asahel; and Asahel was as light of foot as a wild roe. Asahel pursued Abner that day, and he would not leave following him, then Abner smote him with the hinder end of his spear and slew him.

There was war between Ishbosheth and David, and the house of David waxed greater, but that of Saul became weaker. Abner quarrelled with Ishbosheth, and soon after revolted to David. this time David sent messengers to Ishbosheth requiring that his

At

THE DEATH OF ABNER AND OF ISHBOSHETH. [1095-975 B.C.

wife Michal, Saul's daughter, should be given up to him. Ishbosheth took her from Phaltiel, her husband, and sent her. Phaltiel followed her weeping, but Abner told him to return. Abner found that the elders of Israel were willing to join David. But Joab was jealous of Abner, and told David that he came to deceive him; and as Abner departed from David, Joab went after him, took him aside to speak to him quietly, and slew him; Abishai, Joab's brother, was also present. So Joab and Abishai slew Abner, because he had slain their brother Asahel at Gibeon in the battle. David mourned exceedingly for the death of Abner; he said to his servants, "Know ye not that there is a prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel?" Of Joab and Abishai he said, "The LORD shall reward the doer of evil according to his wickedness." When Ishbosheth heard that Abner was dead, he and all his people were troubled. Two of his captains, Baanah and Rechab, went into the house of Ishbosheth, smote him, and beheaded him. They took his head to David, saying they had brought him the head of his enemy. And David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, and said unto them, "As the LORD liveth, who hath redeemed my soul out of all adversity, when one told me, saying, Behold, Saul is dead, (thinking to have brought good tidings, and that I would have given him a reward,) I took hold of him and slew him in Ziklag. . . . how much more, when wicked men have slain a righteous person in his own house upon his bed shall I not therefore now require his blood of your hand, and take you away from the earth ?" He then commanded his young men to slay them. The head of Ishbosheth was buried in the sepulchre of Abner in Hebron.

Mahanaim-an important city on the east of the Jordan. See Lesson 13.